1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to public pay telephones and, more particularly, to a telephone handset dispenser for dispensing a telephone handset when a button defined on the dispenser is pressed.
2. Description of Related Art
Many types of credit card operated pay telephones are currently known. Furthermore, a number of these telephones have been specifically designed for use by persons in mass transit applications.
One example of a telephone used in mass transit applications is called the "cabin phone". Typically, a single cabin phone is installed on a wall near the front or the rear of a vehicle such as a commercial aircraft. The cabin phone comprises a cordless telephone handset, a credit card reader, and a housing for both the handset and the credit card reader. A passenger initiates a call by placing a credit card into the credit card reader, whereupon the handset is dispensed from the housing. The passenger may then return to his or her seat and place a call using the handset. After completion of the call, the passenger returns the handset to the cabin phone whereupon the credit card reader returns the credit card.
The cabin phone has a number of limitations. First, electromagnetic noise from electrical equipment aboard the airplane often interferes with reception of the cabin phone handset because of its cordless design. Therefore, telephone pay stations that are free from electrical interference are needed for use by passengers in mass transit applications.
Another limitation of the cabin phone when considered for use aboard commercial aircraft is that space limitations aboard commercial aircraft usually preclude installation of more than two of the cabin phones. As a result, only two passengers at a time can place calls. Furthermore, each caller must leave his or her seat in order to use the cabin phone. Therefore, telephone pay stations are needed to enable several passengers to place calls simultaneously without leaving their seats.
Another class of pay telephones intended for use by passengers in mass transit applications is called the "seat-mounted phone". The seat-mounted phone is used in a system that includes several pay telephone housings installed in seat backs of the seats aboard a vehicle such as a commercial aircraft. A passenger uses a seat-mounted phone located in one of the seat backs of the row directly in front of the passenger. When the passenger inserts a credit card into an opening provided in the housing for that purpose, a telephone handset is dispensed from a storage trough formed within the housing. The handset is connected to the housing by a retractable cord which is spooled upon a cord reel. The cord reel itself is, in a typical construction, mounted off-center with respect to the ends of the storage trough so that the cord exits the cord reel tangentially to the circular perimeter of the cord reel.
Examples of seat-mounted phones as discussed above are shown in and described in the following U.S. patents and U.S. patent application, assigned to the assignee of the present invention: U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,254, entitled "Hand-Held Pay Telephone and Holder", to Goeken et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,387, entitled "Holder and Credit-Card Unlatching Mechanism for a Hand-Held Telephone", to Hollowed et al.; and U.S. Ser. No. 288,940 entitled "Holder and Latching Mechanism for a Hand-Held Telephone", filed Dec. 23, 1988 in the name of Jerome L. Oldani.
While seat-mounted phones as referred to and described above and in the above-mentioned patents and patent application meet most passenger requirements, there are some passenger requirements that are not fully satisfied by such phones. In particular, installation of seat-mounted phones can be complicated somewhat because the handset housing is a separate part from the cord reel. Thus, installation of the seat-mounted phone involves the steps of mounting the handset housing, mounting the cord reel, and adjusting the cord reel to properly interact with the handset housing. Therefore, installation time is increased because the seat-mounted phone package is made up of at least two separate pieces.
An additional design constraint of the seat-mounted phone results from the fact that the cord must exit the cord reel tangentially to the cord reel's circular perimeter in order to longitudinally continue without bending into the center of one of the storage trough's ends. As a consequence of this design constraint, the seat-mounted phone must have a greater vertical dimension than might be preferred for aircraft applications and is therefore less compact than might be desired given the constraints of space limitations in a commercial aircraft environment.
Additionally, the width of the seat-mounted phone, as compared to the width of a typical seat back, is also often greater than might be preferred. Because of this, a seat-mounted phone housing may be required to be cut in order to reduce its width for proper installation of the housing. Furthermore, custom installations are sometimes required, wherein some of the seat-mounted phone's mechanical or electrical components are located beneath the seat. Hence, installation of the current seat-mounted phone consumes more time than might be desired in a commercial aircraft application and is somewhat complicated because the width of the seat-mounted phone is greater than might be preferred. Accordingly, a more compact telephone pay station for use by mass transit passengers would have value for the seat back application discussed above.
Another design constraint of the seat-mounted phone is that removal of its handset housing requires the use of tools. Removal of a seat-mounted phone handset housing is needed in a variety of situations. Since the handset housing is mounted in an opening cut in the upholstery of a seat back, one function of the handset housing is to trap the seat's upholstery around the opening. Thus, if the upholstery is soiled or damaged during a flight, the handset housing must be removed prior to removal and replacement of the upholstery. Similarly, if the handset housing is damaged, removal of the handset housing for replacement or repair is required. Likewise, if the handset housing is dirtied, removal for cleaning is required.
Often, union rules prohibit cleaning personnel from using tools aboard aircraft. As a result, simple problems such as those described above often require a union-approved, certified aircraft mechanic to remove a seat-mounted phone handset housing. Due to their level of training, certified aircraft mechanics are typically not as readily available as ordinary cleaning personnel. In addition, certified aircraft mechanics are usually paid a greater wage than ordinary cleaning personnel. Therefore, when problems such as the above-mentioned arise during a particular leg of a flight, having the problem remedied by a certified aircraft mechanic can result in delay and irritation to passengers, as well as added expense to the airline. Therefore, an easily serviceable telephone pay station is necessary.
Another shortcoming of the seat-mounted phone, especially for aircraft applications, is that it is presently molded from a material which yellows when exposed to ultraviolet light. Most plastic components of a typical commercial airplane's interior require replacement every two or three years, due to this type of color degradation. Because ultraviolet light is more intense at high altitudes, and seat-mounted phones are usually installed near windows, the phones are especially susceptible to yellowing. Since replacement of telephone pay stations is costly and time consuming, a telephone pay station is needed that is not susceptible to color degradation in response to ultraviolet light.
Another factor that may be of importance to passengers using seat-mounted phones is the ease of making calls. With the existing technology, a telephone handset is dispensed from a housing in response to the user's insertion of a credit card into an opening defined in the housing for that purpose. The user is then required to use the credit card in another, separate operation. Specifically, the user must swipe the credit card through a groove in the handset, thereby enabling the handset to read the credit card's magnetic strip. Despite instructional materials made available to passengers making calls, some passengers occasionally mistakenly think that the credit card's magnetic strip was read during the initial insertion of the credit card into the opening defined in the handset housing. As a result, those passengers have sometimes been confused by the subsequent requirement of swiping the credit card through the groove in the handset. Therefore, a telephone pay station that does not require use of a credit card in order to release the telephone handset offers certain advantages from the standpoint of ease of use.
Another class of pay telephones intended for mass transit applications is called the "armrest-mounted phone". The armrest-mounted phone is used in a system including several pay telephone housings installed beneath armrests of the seats of a vehicle such as a commercial aircraft. A passenger uses an armrest-mounted phone mounted in either of the two armrests between which the passenger is seated. When the caller inserts a credit card into an opening provided in the housing for that purpose, a telephone handset is dispensed from a storage trough formed within the housing. The handset is connected to the dispenser by a retractable cord which is spooled upon a cord reel.
Examples of armrest-mounted phones as discussed above are described and shown in the following U.S. patent applications, assigned to the assignee of the present invention: U.S. Ser. No. 278,391, entitled "Dispenser and Unlatching Mechanism for a Hand-Held Pay Station Telephone", filed Dec. 1, 1988 in the names of Edward J. Hollowed and Jerome L. Oldani; U.S. Ser. No. 278,392, entitled "Pay Station Telephone and Dispenser for a Commercial Conveyance", filed Dec. 1, 1988 in the names of Edward J. Hollowed and Jerome L. Oldani; and U.S. Ser. No. 278,393, entitled "A Hand-Held Pay Station Telephone Dispenser and Cord Retractor", filed Dec. 1, 1988 in the names of Edward J. Hollowed and Jerome L. Oldani.
While the armrest-mounted phone referred to and described above and in the above-mentioned patent applications meets most passenger requirements, it too has certain design constraints which limit its use in applications contemplated by the present invention. For example, to accommodate the armrest-mounted phone, the armrest to which the phone is to be connected must be substantially enlarged. Furthermore, if the armrest accommodating the armrest-mounted phone is raised to its concealed position between the two seats to which the armrest is connected, for example, to give passengers in adjacent seats greater freedom of movement or to permit a passenger to lie across two or more seats, the hardware of the armrest-mounted phone will protrude from between the seats and possibly inconvenience the passengers from the standpoint of comfort. Furthermore, convenient use of an armrest-mounted phone is limited to the two passengers seated adjacent to the armrest to which the phone is attached.
Therefore, a telephone pay station is needed that does not restrict operation of the armrests aboard a mass transit vehicle, yet allows passengers to place calls without leaving their seats.